On the Blog

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An African-American professor who has spent her life building bridges across racial divides questions whether she can continue knowing that four out of five white Evangelical Christians voted for Donald Trump.

Physical presence and inner life are more integrated than we might imagine. Meditations on how we move through stress, our relationship with the body, and making meaning in the rhythms of everyday life.

When we over do the things we love, sometimes the solution isn't to do less or more but to do it differently. Sarah Smarsh reflects on treasuring the method of running over the measurement of it — and learning to scramble and splash with intention.

"Call it the hidden hand of God; I would simply call it the hidden hand of the equations. And that gets us from the beginning to here." Theoretical physicist Brian Greene on the hidden nature of reality, and the power of scientific theory to reveal the beauty that we cannot observe.

As more millennials declare themselves "spiritual but not religious," what does meaningful community look like in the 21st century? For legions of CrossFit enthusiasts, it's a community of care and nurturing — and a place where you can also perfect your squat.

“Running has helped me become more present.” Some people turn to prayer or meditation or yoga as a way to slow down and make sense of their lives. Ashley Hicks, co-founder of Black Girls RUN!, found that in running.

Involvement is exhilarating, but saying yes to everything can be unhealthy in its own way. Guided by a poem by William Stafford, Parker Palmer points to the value of knowing when to engage, and when to let go.

Shows like Mad Men and Masters of Sex depict workplaces of the 60s — and a world that seems utterly foreign to modern eyes. Yet, Jane Gross argues, the challenges women face in the workplace have not gone away, merely shifted.

“Once I started running it was really hard to be angry at my body in the same way.” Teacher, writer, and Mexipina Christina Torres on how running helps her deal with anxiety, body image, and understanding her deepest sense of self.

To devote oneself to battling injustice is noble, but rigorous. Sharon Salzberg celebrates the extraordinary work of agents of social change, and illuminates the importance of balancing exposure to hardship with self-care.

We have charms to ward off harmful glances, but what might they teach us about more gracious and loving communication? Omid Safi studies the significance of the "evil eye," and wonders if it can inspire us to better interaction.

How do we cut through distraction to nurture our best selves forward? Our executive editor shares reflections on rediscovering the glory around and within us, from the journey of an olympic runner, to the lyrical labyrinth of rap, to healing the void of loss with art and memory.

"Sometimes the pain of the world seems incomprehensible. And if there's anything that balances it, it's wonder at the world, the amazingness of people." Mindfulness meditation teacher Sylvia Boorstein gives counsel on finding joy and spiritual practice embedded in the rhythms of everyday life.

Walk straight into your not-knowing. Exercise your heart. Live as variously as possible. In this season of graduations, Parker Palmer offers six suggestions for traversing the savage and beautiful terrain of life.

In baseball as in life, skirmishes are healthier when they're not prolonged. Looking to the animal kingdom for wisdom, Sarah Smarsh reflects on the danger of rumination without release and the healing power of bodies in motion.

"Are we human beings who are in community, do we call to each other? Do we heed each other? Do we want to know each other?" Poet Elizabeth Alexander speaks of our need for language to understand our neighbors.

Death and illness are rational fears, yet there are some truths we need to ignore in order to function. For people with health anxiety, a strange lump can incite a multitude of fears. A generous (sometimes humorous) window into life with hypochondria.

Gold medalist Billy Mills tells his redemptive story of how running healed his "broken soul" and saved his life. And he shares a mystical story uniting his father's words with Lakota wisdom as he crossed the finish line.